Leak-stopper for vessels



I P. B. V |ELE. LEAK STOPPER FOR VESSELS.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN-20,1919.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

u 2 SEEEISSHEET I.

llllll'llllllnlllll'l 'lllllllll Quota z L i F '46 i P. B. VIELE.

LEAK STOPPER FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.20, 1919.

Patented Mar. 16,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PLAT'I B. VIELE, or noonnsrnn, NEW roan.

LEAK-STOPPER FOR VESSELS.

Specifimtirm of Bette; Patent- .Patentefl Mar. 16, 1920.

Application filed January 20, 1919. Serial No. 272,145.

To all whom it {may concern:

Be it known that I, Pna'r'r B. VLELE, a citizen ol" the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Leak-Stoppers tor Vessels, oil which the following is a specification. 1

This invention. relates to an improved means for stopping a leak in the hull of a ship and obstruct entrance ofwater into the hold of a vessel, and the primary object of the same to provide a particular form of apron or ship bandage which may be readily applied to the injured part of? the hull of a ship or vessel and held in fixed positioiii over a hole or fractured portion ot the hull as a. temporary and effective means for obstructing the ingress of water into the vessel. 1

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement ol the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved leak stopper or bandage showing parts thereof broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the hull of a ship broken away in part and shown in section with a hole there' 1 and illustrating the improved leak stopper or bandage applied over the hole.

Fig. 3 's a longitudinal section through a portion of one of the side strips showing the manner in which the side strips and cross slats are assembled.

Fig. 4: is a horizontal section partially broken through taken in the plane of the line 4l-4;, Fig. 3. i

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken in the plane oi the line 5--5, Fig. 2.

The numeral 5 designates the hull of a vessel which is shown as raving a hole 6 in the hull th ereol below the water level.

Theimproved leak stopper, bandage or apron, particularly shown by Fig. 1, cmbodies side strips 7 having cross slats 8 terrninally secured against one side thereof, the slats 8 overlapping, as at 9, to form tight joints. The slats are secured to the side strips 7 by means of headed bolts 10 engaged by nuts 11, the. nuts being prevent ed from becoming accidentally disengaged from the bolt ends by means of a flexible strand or wire 12 inserted through the bolt formed in the vessel and which it is will have achain or analogous ends outside of the nuts and thereby providing a reliable nut lock and insuring a tight engagement of the overlapped slats 8 relatively to each other and the strips 7. The strips 7 are provided with extra bolt holes 13 as shown, for application thereto of additional slats, if desired, and these strips may be made as long or as short as re quired in accordance with the general pro portions of the improved device and the slats 8 may extend freely thereover or only partially over the same as they may be readily removed and replaced owingto the bolt and nut securing means therefor. The bottom slat is formed with a series of openings 14L extending longitudinally thereof and the lower bolt holes 13 oil? the strips 7 are left clear or these may be openings for a definite purpose which will be presently explained. The strips 7 may extend any distance above the uppermost slat 8 to form holders and are provided with blocks 15 secured thereon. The upper continuation of the strips 7 forming the holders 16 may extend any distanceabove the upper terminal of the hull or the rail of the latter and be secured by any suitable means after the improved stopper, bandage or apron is applied. The strips 7 and slats 8 are all formed of metal, preferably spring steel, so as to enable the improved stopper, bandage or apron to conform to the curvature or rotundity oi the hull of the vessel to which the improved device is applied and thereby form atight joint of a non-lealrable character with relation tothe .vessels side, and particularly over the opening or hole that is desired to cover to obstruct leakage of water into the vessel hold. Thestrips 7 owing to-their resiliency may bend longitudinally and the slats 8 may be made to conform either to a convex curvature or given a concave contour, so that they may be closely depressed or extend into the hole or fracture of the hull of the ship or vee l, as shown, for in stance. by Fig. 5, and when these slats are forced tightly into the outer portion of the hole or opening; inthe vessel or hull a very tight engagement will be set up between the slats and the surrounding edge of the hole. To draw the slats inwardly into the hole in a vessels side, as shown by Fig. 5, a ring or eye 17 is eecurcdto one of the slats and device 1.8 against the inattaehed thereto and secured movement of the device per - age or apron over a hole or slats,

applied where found ring 20 to which the deck close to'thehull side terior of the vessel hull so as to maintain a tight joint between the slats and the edge of the opening in the hull. It will be understoodthat by drawing inward on one of the the adjacent slats will likewise be forced inwardly owing to the overlapping association ofthc slats and, if desired, any number of these rings ma beemp lo 'ed and necessary or to the best advantage in holding the improved device in applied or leak-preventing position.

To the lower portion or extremity of the improved stopper,-bandage or apron a stay chain or analogous device 18 is secured and provided with'two lateral branches 19 attached in two of the holes 14:, as shown in Fig. 1, the branches 19 extending from a chain 18 is also at tached. The stay chain 18 is passed around below and over the keel of the vessel and upwardly over the outer side of the hull opposite that to which the stopper, bandage or apron is applied and secured, as illustrated in dotted lines by Fig. 2, said stay chain operating to hold the stopper, bandage or apron downwardly over the hole or fracture-in the hull of the vessel and to assist in maintaining a water-tight joint by closely drawing thelower portion of the improved device against the hull of the vessel below the, hole or fraeture'therein. To prevent lateral displacement of the improved device when applied oppositely extending or lateral stay chains 21 are secured to a ring 22 interposed in the chain 18 below the ring 20 and also passed through the lowermost openings 13 in the strip 7. These lateral stay chains 21 may be of any suitable length and are extended upwardlycver the hull of the vessel above the hole or fracture therein and secured 'at thetop portion of the hull. In addition to preventing lateral or sidewise when it is applied over the hull or fracture in the vessel hull the lateral stay chains 21 serve to hold the lower ends of the strips 7' and the adjacent parts thereof as well as the lowermost slats closely against the surface of the hull and thereby add to the efi'ectivenessof the watertight seal formed when applied.

' In applying the improved by the improved device stopper, bandfracture in the from the vessel and the stay chain 18 is drawn upwardly at the opposite side of the hull deck to suflieiently depress and provide for a proper application of the improved device and the holders 16 are then secured to prevent rising and falling movements of the improved stopper, bandage or apron. The stay chains'21 are drawn taut and the holders 16 are pressed closely against the side of the hull in which the hole or fracture is formed and the pressure of the hull of a vessel it is lowered leak-stopper means, and from the interior of r the hole the application of the improved device may be easily completed by drawing inwardly on the chain 18 and fastening the latter.

lVhen the improved device is not in use, it may be readily raised and held on the side of the hull or stored on the deck of the ship, it being intended to make the stay chain 18 long enough to permit this storage or up ward maximum movement of the improved device when not in service. It will be understood that the stay chain 18 will be applied around and beneath the vessel hull at a time prior to when it becomes necessary to use the improved leak-stopper, bandage or apron, so that the latter may be instantly drawn over the hole or fracture formed in the hull of the vessel. It is also proposed to shift the improved leak stopper, bandage or apron along the length of the side of the hull of the vessel and one of the improved devices may-be preliminarily applied for operation and service on opposite sides of the hull or there may be a number of these devices arranged for service on the same side of the hull so as to thereby cover one or more openings 01' fractures. The improved device is easily handled and may be readily applied in operative position and it is proposed to modify the general dimensions and proportions thereof as may be found necessaryand desirable to suit the hulls of various types of ships or vessels.

hat is claimed is 1. A device of the class set forth comprising opposite side strips having a plurality of openings therein, a series of overlapped cross slats terminally secured against one side of the side strips and held in fixed applied positions, the side strips being provided with openings in addition to those required for the slats applied to permit an increase of the number of slats through the application to the side strips of additional slats, bolts and nuts removably slats to the cross strips, the bolts having flexible means inserted through the ends thereof, and stay means secured to the lower extremity of the device to extend beneath and upwardly also laterally to hold the device in applied position, the device also having means for suspending the same from the upper end thereof, the slats and the side strips being liexible to adapt a ready conformation therethey may be securing the ends of the over the side of a vessel and i fill tions, the slats andstrips being formed of resilient metal to adapt them to conform to various curvatures, and stay means connected to the lowermost slat and to the lower extremities of the side bars and united for holding the device in fixed applied position both Vertically and laterally.

A. device or the class specified comprising side strips, a plurality of slats secured to the said side strips and having overlapping edges, the slats being immovable and both the side strips and slats being formed of resilient metal, the side strips being extended above the uppermost slats to serve as holders and stay means adjustably connected to the lowermost slat and also engaging the lower extremities of the side strips, the stay means from the lower slat being connected to the stay means engaging the side strips and being extended beneath and upwardly over the slde' of a vessel, the stay means engaging the side strips being extended laterally from the said side strips.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PLATT B. VIELE.

Witnesses:

H. B. ALLEN, WM. C. Lownny. 

